Attachment for converters



March 7, 1%50 B. K. NEWMAN ATTACHMENT FOR CONVERTERS Filed March 29, 1945 E III BEL/CE KNEW Usin ax Patented Mar. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,499,407 ATTACHMENT FOR CONVERTERS Bruce K. Newman, St. Louis, Mo. Application March 29, 1945, Serial No. 585,506

Claims. (01. 197-4) Granted under, the act of March 3, 1883, as

- The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in cryptographic devices known as converters.

Converters of the type herein considered are described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,089,603, issued August 23, 1935 to B. C. W. Hagelin. The converter is a small compact, hand operated tape-printing mechanical device designed for enciphering and deciphering tactical messages. When properly set and operated, it will encipher a plain text message of any length, automatically printing the enciphered text on a paper tape in amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) 5-letter groups, or it will decipher a message that has been previously cryptographed by another converter, printing the clear text on a paper tape with proper spacing between words. The converters described in the above mentioned patent are objectionable in that they are manually operated and an appreciable length of time is required to encipher or decipher a message.

1 It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a device for greatly speeding the operation of a converter.

A further object is the provision of a device for speeding the operation of a converter without requiring alteration of the converter in any manner, the device being readily and conveniently transferred from one converter to another.

These and other objects are attained by the novel arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is an elevation showing the manner in which the device is attached to a converter.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of an element of the device.

t Figure 3 is an elevational view of another element of the device.

Referring to the drawings, the converter is shown mounted on a cross piece I, with the printer lever 2 engaging a coupling mechanism 3, and the knob 5| of the enciphering wheel 4 engaging a coupling 5, which is simply a piece of rubber which clamps over the knurled knob 5| of the enciphering wheel 4.

Mounted on a support 6 is a selector which comprises a metal ring I (see Fig. 2) positioned on a center disc 8, which is made of wood or other insulating material. The ring 1 is provided with 26 holes 9, through which pass small metal pins l0 at the ends of wire cables ll of the camera type. The upper ends ofthe cables are provided with heads I2, carrying letters arranged in the same manner as typewriter keys.

The coupling 5 is fixed to a shaft l3, which has also splined thereto a clutch M which frictionally engages a gear I5, the latter being freely rotatable on the shaft l3. A compression spring l6 bearing against the support I? constantly urges the clutch against the gear l5. Fixed to the end of shaft I3 is a selector arm l8, having at its free end a right angularly directed lug l9, arranged to engage a pin I 0 which may be projecting from the selector (see Fig. 1).

The wheel I5 is driven by a pinion 20 fixed to a shaft 2|, which has fixed thereto a gear 22, engaging a pinion 23, on the shaft of a motor 24.

Also fixed to shaft 2| is a pinion 25 meshing with a gear 26 freely rotatable on shaft 28, and frictionally engaging a clutch 21, splined to the shaft 28, which is supported by brackets 29 and 29'. The clutch is constantly urged into engagement with the gear 25 by a compression spring 30 encircling shaft 28. Fixed to shaft 28 is a lock bar 3| (see Fig. 3) which normally engages a lock bar trip arm 32. A solenoid 33, having a plunger Mnormally urged outwardly by a compression spring 35 (see Fig. 3) has connected thereto a rod 36 which is also connected to the trip 'arm 32. When the solenoid is ener gized the plunger is drawn into the solenoid and the trip arm 32 is disengaged from arm 3|, thus allowing shaft 28 to rotate. The solenoid is electrically connected to the selector arm l8 and tothe'selector When arm I8 through its projection l9 engages a pin If), an electrical circuit is completed through the solenoid.

In operation, when a key I2 is depressed, a pin ID is caused to project through the selector ring 1. The arm I8 is constantly rotating due to the engagement of the clutch M with the freely rotating gear l5. As the arm l8 rotates it engages the pin l0 and stops, the frictional engagement between the clutch and gear being adjusted so that no undue strain is placed on the arm, the gear slipping over the clutch. When the arm l8 engages pinwlfl. an electrical circuit is completed through the solenoid and the plunger 34 is drawn into the solenoid to cause the trip arm 32 to release lock arm 3 I, thus allowing shaft 28 to turn due to the engagement of clutch 21 and gear 26. The rotation of shaft 28' will cause arm 3? of coupling 3 to'turn and rotate the printer arm 2 of the converter one half revolution, at which time the printer armis. automatically locked in the converteruntil another letter isselected by the rotation of en:

cipherlng wheel 4. The solenoid will be energized as long as the key is depressed; but shaft 28 will not be rotated due to the slipping of clutch 21 over gear 26. As soon as the key is allowed to rise, the circuit will be broken through the solenoid, and the trip arm 32 will engage lock arm 3| and prevent rotation of shaft 28. Thus no movement of the printer arm is possible until a key has been depressed to select a letter.

From the above description it will be seen that there has been provided a simple and effective attachment for greatly speeding the operation of a cryptographic converter. As seen from the drawings the device can be attached without alteration of the converter and can be operated almost as fast as the operation of a typewriter.

The above description is to be considered as illustrative and not limitative of the invention, of which modification may be made without departing from the spirit and scope as set forth in the appended claims.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

:1. A device for controlling a cryptographic converter having an enciphering wheel and a printer lever, comprising a keyboard having a plurality of keys of the typewriter type with a wire connected to each key, a selector having a plurality of holes through which the ends of the wires are adapted to pass, a first shaft adapted to be connected to the wheel of a converter and having an arm at its free end, means to normally rotate said shaft, said arm being arranged to engage an end of a wire; projecting through the selector when the associated key of the wire has been depressed to discontinue the rotation of the first shaft, a

second shaft adapted to be coupled to the printer lever, means to rotate the second shaft, means to normally prevent rotation of the second shaft, and electrical means controlledby the engagement of said arm with a wire to cause the second shaft .to rotate.

2. An attachment for controlling a cryptographic converter having an enciphering wheel and a printer lever, comprising a keyboard having a plurality of keys of the typewriter type, a first shaft adapted to'be coupled to the enciphering wheel, means to normally rotate the first shaft, means controlled by the depression of a key to discontinue the rotation of the first shaft, a second shaft adapted to be coupled to the printer lever, electromechanical means controlled by the discontinuance of rotation of the first shaft to cause the rotation of the second shaft, and means to discontinue the rotation of the second shaft when the printer lever has rotated one-half revolution.

3; An attachment for controlling a cryptographic converter having an enciphering wheel and 'a printer lever, comprising a keyboard having 'a pluralit of keys of the typewriter type, a first shaft adapted to be coupled to the enciphering wheel, means to normally rotate the first shaft, means controlled by the depression of a key to discontinue the rotation of the 'first'shaft, a second shaft adapted to be coupled to the printer lever,,means'to normally prevent rotation of the second shaft, electromechanical mean-s controlled by the discontinuance of rotation of the first shaft to cause rotation of the second shaft, and means to discontinue rotation of the second shaft when the printer lever has rotated through a predetermined angle.

4. An attachment for a cryptographic converter having an enciphering wheel and a printer lever, comprising, a keyboard having a plurality of keys of the typewriter variety, means for continuously rotating said enciphering wheel, and means controlled by the depression of a key to stop the continuously rotating enciphering wheel at a predetermined point and to rotate said printer lever, said means including an electrical- 1y operated release to cause said printer lever to be rotated subsequent to the stopping of the rotating enciphering wheel.

5.. A device for controlling a cryptographic converter having a type wheel for reproducing secondary signs and displacing means adapted upon movement to rotate said type wheel, comprising: a plurality of keys of the typewriter variety corresponding to primary signs, means to normally rotate the type Wheel, means controlled by the depression of a key to stop said type Wheel at a point corresponding to the primary sign represented by the depressed key, and means responsive to the stopping of said type wheelfor actuating said displacing means to further rotate said type wheel.

6. A device for controlling a cryptographic converter having a type wheel for reproducing secondary signs, displacing means adapted upon movement to rotate said type wheel, and means to discontinue movement of said displacing means after said displacing means has moved through a predetermined cycle, comprising: a plurality of keysof the typewriter variety corresponding to primary signs, means adapted to normally rotate the type wheel, means controlled by the depression of a key to stop said type Wheel at a point corresponding to the primary sign represented by the depressed key, and. means responsive to the stopping of said type wheel for actuating said displacing means to further rotate said type wheel.

7.. A device for controlling a crytographic converter having a type Wheel for reproducing secondary signs, displacing means adapted upon movement to rotate said type wheel, and means to discontinue movement of said displacing means after said displacing means has moved through a predetermined cycle, comprising: a plurality of keys of the typewriter variety corresponding to primary signs, a single source of motive power, means adapted to normally couple the type wheel to said power source whereby to normally rotate said type wheel, means controlled by the depression of a key to disconnect the type Wheel from the power source and stop said type wheel at a point corresponding to the primary sign represented by the depressed key, and means responsive to the stopping of said type wheel to couple said displacing means to said power source wherebysaid displacing means is moved to further rotate the type wheel.

8. A device for controlling a cryptographic converter' having a type wheel'for reproducing secondary signs, displacing means adapted upon movement to displace said type wheel, and means to discontinue movement of said displacing means after said displacing means has moved through a predetermined cycle, comprising: a plurality of keys of the typewriter kind corresponding to primary signs, a normallyrotating first shaft adapted to be coupled during its rotation to the type wheel, means controlled by the depression of a key to discontinue rotation of said first shaft at a point corresponding to the primary sign represented by the depressed key, a second shaft coupledto thedisplacing means, means to normally prevent rotation of said second shaft, and means '76 operable upon discontinuance of rotation of the for actuating said displacing means. l

9. An attachment, for controlling a cryptographic converter having a type wheel for reproducing secondary signs, displacing means adapted upon movement to rotate said typewheel, and means to discontinue movement of said displacing means after said displacing means has moved through a predetermined cycle, comprising: a plurality of keys of the typewriter kind corresponding to primary signs, a normally rotating first shaft adapted to be coupled during its rotation to the type wheel, a transversely extending arm fixed to said first shaft, a selector mechanism positioned adjacent said transverse arm and including a plurality of stop members each of which is connected to one of said keys and movable into the path of said transverse arm in response to depression of a key, whereby to stop the rotation of said first shaft and of said type wheel at a point corresponding to the primary sign represented by the depressed key, a second shaft coupled to the displacing means, electrically controlled means normally preventing rotation of said second shaft and responsive to the engagement of the transverse arm on the first shaft with a stop member aforementioned to release said second shaft for rotation, whereby to actuate said displacing means for further rotating the type wheel,

first shaft to permit rotation of the second shaft 6 and. a single power source mechanically engageable with both the first and second shafts for rotating the same.

10. A device for controlling a cryptographic converter having movable means for indicating secondary signs and displacing means adapted upon movement to displace said indicating means,

comprising: a plurality of keys of the typewriter REFERENCES orrEn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 644,165 Freret, Jr Feb. 27, 1900 892,891 Richards July 7, 1908 2,089,603 Hagelin Aug. 10, 1937 2,247,170 Hagelin June 24, 1941 

